Category Archives: learning
Fear is a Jerk
Fear is a jerk.
A big, in-your-face, no good, rotten, terrible jerk.
And I lose to him far too often because I give up too easily.
He keeps me from trying new things.
He keeps me from taking chances.
He keeps me from pursing old passions and new ideas.
Take writing as an example. I love the written word and really believe that it has incredible power and effectiveness when used properly. When I’m writing, I feel alive. Life makes a little more sense when I’m able to put words to a situation.
But if I really believe this, then why haven’t I written anything in over a month? I could go with the holidays/had to work/other things came up line. And while this is partially true, it’s an easy excuse to hide behind because it keeps me from facing the real bully in front of me…fear.
If I’m honest, sometimes a lot of the time, fear keeps me from pursuing a craft that means so much to me. I fear what you’ll say about something I’ve written. The fear of publishing something that is just poorly constructed or confusing keeps me from even trying sometimes. I’m worried about what you’ll think about what I write, and consequently, what you’ll think about me based on what and how I write.
Lame, I know, but it’s a real fear.
When I let fear be the jerk that he really is, I automatically lose. But he’s had far too much power for far too long. It’s time to stand up to this monstrous bully and stare him down. He’s won enough battles lately and I’m tired of getting beat up by him.
My friend Chris K. Davidson blogged about fear lately and threw down this challenge…
Let’s develop a fiery, inextinguishable passion for living and thriving. Let’s put ourselves out on a limb. Let us march forward on the path set by the One who knows that everything will be alright in the end. Let us complete what we dream and let us not be disappointed when some of the results are not exactly what we wanted. Let us not be afraid of failure; let us be afraid of not trying.
When 2012 comes to a close, I hope to look back on it and realize that this was the year that I stood up to the bully called fear and won the battle. I want to be able to say that I really understood what it meant to trust Christ enough to walk into the dark, uncharted areas of life knowing that I really have nothing to fear.
Because, really, in the end, fear is just a big jerk.
Monday Musings
- As evidenced by my utter lack of posting lately, I’ve been in a can’t-write-anything-to-save-my-life-funk. I hate it when that happens. I know part of that is Resistance pushing back against me…that little voice in the back of my head saying that pursing writing isn’t worth it. Time to kick Resistance to the curb.
- So there’s this girl. Her name’s Kate. And, well, I’m kinda crazy about her. For reals.
- Thankful I’m getting the chance to learn from and serve with the Cross Point staff team this semester as an intern in the community groups department. I’m getting to work on and learn about a lot of different aspects of ministry and the team has been great about investing in all of us interns as young leaders.
- Bank holidays are a great idea. I’ve never fully appreciated Columbus Day before this year when it got me a day off from work last week. So hooray Columbus!
- There’s something about a fall sunset in Nashville that’s all kinds of wonderful.
- I’ve come to realize that, a lot more than I’d like to admit, I operate out of fear. Fear of failure, fear of the unknown, yada, yada, yada. Lame, I know. Since fear isn’t something that God has given me, I don’t want to hang on to it or walk in it anymore. Hold me to that, ok?
- Grateful for life-giving friendships that have withstood the test of time. I’m blessed to be surrounded by a pretty stellar group of people.
- My friend Chris Davidson has a new album out. You should really go take a listen and download your copy today…you’ll be glad you did!
- Big news in case you missed it! On Friday, President Obama authorized the deployment of 100 troops into Uganda to help find and bring to justice LRA leader Joseph Kony. Check out the update video below…
What’s this all about, you may be saying? Check out the history behind the longest running war in Africa. Regardless of how you feel about the President or international relations, this is a human issue, not a political one.
What about you? What’s the latest and greatest in your world?
Suffering from Sign-me-up-itis
I’ve got a condition.
It’s called Sign-me-up-itis. Maybe you’ve suffered from the same problem.
It begins when you see a lot of cool looking opportunities…things you know you’re talented in or that you enjoy doing.
Good things. Fun things. Important things. Worthwhile things. Life-giving things. God-honoring things, even.
You think about it for a second, and then utter those three calendar-killing words, “Sign me up!”
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating not serving others or being involved in something that makes you feel fully alive. Far from it.
But one of the things I’m constantly having to work on is being still…avoiding the urge to sign up for every cool new opportunity and adventure. Because I’d love to do it all. But I know it will kill me in the process if I try to.
I often find it hard to just be still…to stop trying to let my identity be found in how many slots in my calendar I can fill up.
The idea of a Sabbath is a weird one for me. I love the idea, but I often don’t take it seriously. Rob Bell (ohh…is he going to quote that crazy guy? Yes. Yes, I am. Deal with it.) recently tweeted the fact that ”on the Sabbath, we hear again that our worth and value do not come from what we make, produce, or accomplish.”
Or what we sign up for. There’s a balance to be had.
Sure, there’s a lot to be found in investing in something that you truly to believe in. But there’s also a lot to be found in living with a Sabbath-honoring mentality. Let’s learn how to do that together, ok?
Learning from Fellow Mountain Climbers: A Guest Post from Ben Whisenant
Today’s guest post comes from my awesome brother, Ben Whisenant. He’s a writer, student of theology, and an overall great person to know. He’s taught me more than he’ll ever know and I think you’ll enjoy what he’s got to say about pursuing Christ. Take it away, Ben…
I work for a Christian publishing company. Slightly lame to work in the Christian bubble? Maybe. But I love the company anyway. I work down in the staging warehouse, and since it is a Christian company, we seem to get into religious discussions fairly frequently.
There was a set of commentaries sent back that was missing a volume. I was hoping that, since it was no longer sellable as a set, I could acquire it for free. I’d been asking about it for a few weeks. Today, I asked what happened to the commentaries since I did not see them. Another employee told me that they had been shipped back and were going to be sold anyway. Next, he told me that I did not need the commentaries; I did not need John Calvin’s word but should just read it myself.
Really? It sounds like the good, Bible-believing answer doesn’t it? You don’t need anyone to tell you how to better understand the Counsel of God; you have the capacity in and of yourself. Nice thought. But I don’t know if it’s completely true.
Now, some of the barb in that comment comes from the fact that the commentaries were written by that dreaded father of Calvinism, John Calvin. I am Reformed and hold to the doctrines of Grace, a view shared by John Calvin, not invented by him, but that is a tangent for another day. Anyway, clearly my coworker, a man that I respect and consider a friend and brother, thought that I did not need Calvin’s help. There is something deeper there than a mere dislike of Calvinism; it stems from the idea that we do not need others’ thoughts on Scripture. I would respectfully submit that we do.
Just take the case of Apollos in Acts. I think Apollos must have been a cool fellow. His name is Greek and manly. I like to picture him as a tanned, muscular theologian in a red robe with those little labyrinth squares. (In other words when you read about Apollos, picture me.) Apollos lets me know that I am justified in reading commentaries. Apollos got commentary and correction from Priscilla and Aquila. Acts 18:26 says: “He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him and explained to him the way of God more accurately.” You and I won’t always be able to understand everything in Scripture on our own.
Don’t get me wrong: I am Protestant like nobody’s business and believe in the laity reading and understating of Scripture (don’t have to be highly trained or in ministry to make sense of what the text is saying), but that doesn’t make everyone an expert. You are not more spiritual for reading the Bible in a vacuum without other books. In fact, this can lead to us not understanding the overall context and meaning of Scripture.
God’s Word is a mountain: we need experienced mountain climbers to come along with us and show us how to ascend and drink deep the Glory of God in the Face of Christ in the totality of Scripture.
May you and I learn to drink deep the Glory of God, as we work together to know Him better. Thanks for sharing, Ben! You can catch more of Ben’s thoughts on life, faith, and football on his blog No Addition to My Doings and on Twitter (he resisted long enough, but finally gave in to social media peer pressure!)
Finding Margin
I’ve written before about how I’m terrible at creating margin in my life. It’s something that I have to constantly keep in check. I think it’s part of my people-pleasing problem. I’m still working on it.
Brad Lomenick recently blogged about the incredible importance of creating margin…
Margin in our lives overall creates options. Options to pursue dreams, think, pray, relax, meditate, process, grow and ultimately live life more fully. On the flipside, lack of margin makes us tense, creates stress and pushes for quick decisions. Lack of margin leads to stale and unhealthy relationships, and drives us towards the most available options at the time, but many times not the best. Lack of margin makes for rushed projects, for forced creativity, and for strategy that only thinks of the short term gains, not the long term opportunities.
My assignment for myself this week is to be intentional about creating that free space on my calendar so that I have options. If I’m not intentional about creating margin, it won’t happen. And when the margin is not there, I don’t grow.
How do you create margin in your life? What’s your go-to activity, place, or routine that helps you to step back from your packed calendar, if only for a short time?
Transitions: A Guest post from Chris K. Davidson
Today’s guest post is from my friend Chris K. Davidson. Chris is a singer/songwriter extraordinaire living in Montevallo, Alabama. He writes about life and faith at his blog over at Rescue is Coming and talks music over on Indie Locale. Today, he’s throwing down some truth about transitions. Take it away, Chris…
“Man, I didn’t think you could talk, let alone sing.”
That was the “compliment” I received after playing my first ever high school talent show. I was terrified when I walked up to the microphone and sang an original tune I had written not two months prior. Once I left the stage, things didn’t seem so different. Only the tip of the iceberg had been revealed.
I have always been intrigued by the transitions we all experience in life. For me, that night at the talent show gave me a confidence that before had never manifested itself in my normal day-to-day. I was satisfied in being known as “the nice and quiet kid.” I never got in trouble and refused to talk out loud in settings that did not require me to speak. I was comfortable because safety never required risk. Singing that song allowed me to create a memory that never would have happened if I had kept to myself.
I continued this new “life change” into my first few years at the University of Montevallo. I was determined to reinvent myself without compromising who I truly was at the core, a follower of Christ saved by the grace of God who wanted to do more than be a spectator Christian. I was tired of sitting on the sidelines. I wanted to move, I wanted to go. I got involved in several college ministries, went on a few mission trips, and even joined a fraternity to experience a brotherhood and family-like atmosphere and to impact my peers in a positive manner.
I wish I could say everything went smoothly. I experienced some great moments in my college career, but I knew hardship well. There were times where I couldn’t find God’s direction or thought I wasn’t doing enough for Him. Reminders of grace came along the way in the form of a conversation with a good friend or even something as simple and magnificent as a sunset. These moments pushed me into a deeper relationship with Christ and gave me a sense of the true meaning of the Gospel, “transitioning” my faith from works-based/me-centered belief to an ocean of mercy that overflowed my heart.
I’m learning that the beauty of life is that it’s always changing. We don’t like change most of the time. It involves moving forward, leaving our comfort zone, and embracing the unknown with a healthy dose of potential failure.
Two months from today, I will be a college graduate. I get to join “the real world” and part of me is still that quiet kid who is terrified of risk.
However, the other half of me is realizing the importance of moving forward, of leaving behind what holds us back from truly discovering what this existence has to offer.
No matter how good or bad these changes can be, there’s always a sense of relentless joy. And that’s all we need.
That is all we need, especially when moving forward is full of risk and the unknown. Thanks for sharing part of your story, Chris!
Chris recently put out a compilation CD to benefit Alabama tornado relief efforts. It’s got some pretty sweet tunes, so I know you’ll want to check it out and pick up a copy. Please and thank you.
Sweaty Living: A Guest Post from Kate Fields
I’m hanging out south of the border in Ecuador this week so a few of my friends are helping me out by serving as guest posters here on the blog. If you missed Monday’s post from Lexi MacKinnon or Wednesday’s post from Kyla Cofer, you can check them out here and here respectively.
Rounding out this week’s great guest bloggers is my good friend Kate Fields. Kate and I have been friends for…well, forever and a day. She’s a triathelete and artist (though not at the same time). She has an incredible heart for missions and she’s got some pretty crazy stories from trips she has been on. Here’s a little bit of what’s running through her mind these days. It’s all you, Kate…
“Have the guts to rewrite the rules, color outside society’s perfect lines, rebel against what’s comfortable, love in spite of heart break, dream outside of sleeping, have faith in humanity even when it gives you reason to not, fight against injustice, create instead of consume, be brave, be kind, … maintain unwavering humility and dance until your dripping with sweat from the beat of your own passion.”
Here’s a quote that I discovered about a year ago… and though I haven’t a clue to whom the credit is due, I fell in love with it. Quotes are wonderful things aren’t they? They often provide the needed inspiration for the right moment when we read them; they seem to have wisdom beyond everyday dialogue. The author of a quote matters a great deal to me because it is in the authorship of a quote that I establish its credibility. That is why I found it particularly bothersome when I read this and couldn’t link the author to its wisdom.
When I read it, it struck a chord in me like any good quote does. I immediately began getting teary, then quickly printed it off and taped it to my bedroom wall. Though its been there a year, I’m still just as fascinated by it. I do think it’s idealistic in some ways, but I am an idealist…I tend to see things for what they could be and try to live as passionately as possible. I have often thought that a life of apathy is one of the worst commissions one could embrace; I am in constant admiration of people who believe in a cause and live passionately to see its fruition.
Though the quote never mentions courage, it seems to allude to it with every line. Doesn’t it take courage to color outside society’s lines, to dream, to fight injustices, to love in spite of heartbreak? Isn’t courage knowing your weaknesses and pushing them to become strengths? Isn’t courage being unsure if you will succeed and yet trying anyway?
It takes great courage to attempt something while you are unsure if you can finish it successfully; it takes great courage to love after heartbreak. When humanity has tossed you around and you have lost faith in the decency of people, it takes courage to heal and believe again that kindness and compassion are the norm instead of the exception. If you think about it, the most famous men and women of history possessed a courage that is almost other-worldly.
Who am I talking about? Martin Luther nailing the 95 Theses to Wittenberg, Nelson Mandela opposing apartheid, Elizabeth I refusing to persecute based on religion, the man that stood in front of the tank in Tiananmen Square, etc. Put up against these examples, it seems as though none of us could have similar courage….that is untrue though. These people simply believed in a cause and they didn’t waver when the opposition approached; they lived with conviction… the kind of conviction that defies apathy.
As I sit writing this, I know that you and I have the courage to possess this kind of conviction, we just don’t realize it. Maybe we don’t realize it because we are surrounded by so many distractions all the time… maybe it’s time to set a couple hours or days aside so that we can reflect about what we believe in and where our passions lie. Seek them out…find them and then, live them.
May you and I “have the guts to rewrite the rules, color outside society’s perfect lines, rebel against what’s comfortable, love in spite of heart break, dream outside of sleeping, have faith in humanity even when it gives you reason to not, fight against injustice, create instead of consume, be brave, be kind…maintain unwavering humility and dance until your dripping with sweat from the beat of your own passion.”
I want that kind of conviction that defies apathy. Wow! Great stuff Kate! Thanks for sharing! You can catch more of Kate’s thoughts on life and faith on her blog, All We Need Is Love, Love.
Don’t Hide or Alligators Might Eat You: A Guest Post from Kyla Cofer
Some blogging friends of mine are picking up the slack for me this week while I’m in Ecuador and I have a feeling you’re going to like what they have to say. If you missed Monday’s post from Lexi MacKinnon, check it out here.
Next up this week is my friend Kyla Cofer. Kyla and I met when we both ran a half-marathon with a great group of people from Powered by Hope. She’s passionate about pursing justice around the world and in your own backyard. She’s a writer, too, and talks about justice, faith, and life on her blog Kyla’s Joy.
Last week, I was going about my normal volunteer activity. The one that I’ve been overly involved in for two straight years. The one that has become like home, like family to me, and a normal part of life.
That day was a strange day in this country. Throughout the United States, people more or less…lost it. I keep hearing “that sort of thing was happening all over the country that day”, when I mention the riot that shut down the wave pool or the fear that was in the air. This might have been caused by the heat of the summer, or the placement of the moon, I don’t know – but I do know there was fear in the air.
If no one else felt it, well, I did. I went to my volunteer location and tried my best to hide the warning bells going off inside of me, that there was a spirit of fear present. This spirit slowly built inside of me until I was unable to think of anything else.
When I left that night, I was thankful that a friend was in the car with me so I could work out my thoughts a little. Then I called another friend and talked about it with him, since he also volunteered that night and felt the same spirit of fear. Then, I called a third and closer friend, because I noticed that I was still not okay and needed to both talk it out one more time and have someone praying over me.
You don’t know me, so I feel the need to tell you how big of a deal this was. See, my heart and emotions used to live in a guarded stone castle with a moat and hungry alligators.
I lived (and still do, which makes me cringe as I confess it) with a lot of pride, that keeps me from speaking about that which I deem ugly. I get embarrassed about silly things, or think that my thoughts and feelings are items on a to-do list that I need to “get over.” That spirit of fear I mentioned? The moated castle would have talked me out of the danger. I would have said, “this isn’t that big of a deal, it’s not real, you’re being dramatic, and nobody really cares.”
All of that sounds pretty dumb when I write it out.
The fortified castle thinks that no one can or needs to help defend it, because the castle and hungry alligators are enough to protect.
How incredibly different life is when we build a drawbridge.
With a drawbridge, I get to choose who I let in. I let in those three friends who came into my guarded castle, saw the danger, and helped protect me. There is no shame in allowing people to enter in and work through the challenges with me. In fact, it turned out that friend #2 probably needed to talk it out, as well. There is no shame in sharing what I thought was ugly (my tears and anxiety). Friend #3 flat out told me, “I’m glad you called, because you don’t need to take the spirit of fear into your house”.
Wow. She was right! A spirit of fear has NO PLACE in my home. I refuse to allow it. Had I not called my friends that night, fear would have made its bed in my sanctuary.
Build a drawbridge. Then learn when to let it down and when to put it up. Stop hiding, it will only leave you alone, and with hungry alligators for company.
Good stuff…how can you and I learn to really trust people enough to let them speak into our lives like Kyla’s friends did? Thanks for talking about your experiences, Kyla. You can connect with Kyla on Twitter and be sure to keep up with her blog where she talks more about life…and alligators.
